Silicon design Systems
Silicon Designs Inc. is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of rugged MEMS variable capacitance DC accelerometers serving aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, energy, and structural monitoring customers through direct sales, distributors, and DigiKey.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersKirkland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Silicon design Systems does
Silicon Designs Inc. (SDI) is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of high-performance MEMS variable capacitance DC accelerometers, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. The company designs and fabricates sensors in-house at its own MEMS cleanroom, using a proprietary differential wing architecture and custom CMOS ASICs that deliver true DC response (0 Hz measurement) with low noise and minimal cross-axis sensitivity. Its product portfolio spans six lines: industrial-grade surface-mount chips (Models 1521/1522/1531), industrial and test-and-measurement modules (Models 2012/2210/2220/2240/2260/2266/2276/2422/2422H/2460/2466/2470/2476/2480), inertial-grade surface-mount devices (Model 1527 with sub-2 mg bias repeatability), inertial and reference modules (Models 2227/2290), G-Logger data acquisition systems (Models 3330/3340), and accessories such as mounting blocks and test sets.
SDI serves aerospace and defense, automotive, industrial automation, energy (oil and gas and renewables), and structural health monitoring customers, with stated use cases spanning missile guidance, UAV flight control, crash testing, downhole drilling vibration monitoring, and bridge and dam instrumentation. The company sells through direct factory sales, U.S. regional sales representatives, an international distributor network, and the DigiKey marketplace, with quote-based pricing rather than published price lists. Revenue is generated primarily from one-time hardware sales across multiple product tiers, supplemented by aftermarket recalibration and repair services and warranty exchanges within a 12-month window. Quality certifications include ISO 9001:2015 (2024–2027), ISO 14644-1/-2 cleanroom classification, ANSI ESD S20.20 ESD control, MIL-STD-883 product screening, and MIL-PRF-38534 (non-QML) qualification basis, supporting sales into military and space programs.
The company is independently owned with no disclosed parent or external equity investors, has received multiple SBIR and STTR grants from the U.S. government to develop specialized defense and aerospace accelerometer technology, and has been recognized with the SBA Tibbetts Award (1997) and induction into the Space Technology Hall of Fame (1999). SDI cites a customer base exceeding 10,000 organizations worldwide and references 5-star customer satisfaction on its website.
Silicon design Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silicon design Systems
- Legal name
- Silicon Designs Inc.
- Website
- https://silicondesigns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Silicon Designs Inc. is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of rugged MEMS variable capacitance DC accelerometers serving aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, energy, and structural monitoring customers through direct sales, distributors, and DigiKey.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silicon design Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- MEMS Accelerometers
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344)
- SIC
- Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs (HDAHAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO), Automotive & Industrial-Grade IDMs (HDAHAAAI)
Keywords
Where Silicon design Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kirkland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Silicon design Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- MEMS Accelerometer Hardware Sales: SDI generates revenue primarily from manufacturing and selling MEMS DC accelerometers including surface mount chips, module packages, and data acquisition systems. Products range from individual components to integrated solutions with varying price points based on performance grades.
- Aftermarket Services: Recalibration and repair services for accelerometers including warranty exchanges for manufacturing defects within 12 months, recalibration services for units in use for many years, and technical support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Custom quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Silicon design Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silicon Designs Inc. (SDI) designs, manufactures, and sells high-performance MEMS variable capacitance DC accelerometers for industrial, aerospace, defense, automotive, and structural monitoring applications. The portfolio includes surface-mount chips, module-package sensors with integrated amplifiers, inertial-grade tactical sensors, reference-grade modules, G-Logger data acquisition systems, and supporting accessories, all produced in-house at a Kirkland, Washington MEMS cleanroom facility.
Product overview
Silicon Designs offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance MEMS DC accelerometers organized into six product lines: (1) Industrial-Grade Surface Mount chips (1521, 1522, 1531) for general-purpose and high-temperature applications; (2) Industrial and Test & Measurement Modules (2012, 2210, 2220, 2240, 2260, 2266, 2276, 2422, 2422H, 2460, 2466, 2470, 2476, 2480) with integrated amplifiers for plug-and-play testing; (3) Inertial-Grade Surface Mount (1527) for tactical-grade navigation; (4) Inertial-Grade & Reference Modules (2227, 2290) combining quartz-like precision with MEMS durability; (5) G-Logger Data Acquisition Systems (3330, 3340) providing standalone or PC-connected data collection; and (6) Accessories including mounting blocks and test sets. All products share common technology (variable capacitance MEMS sensing, ±4V differential output) and are manufactured in the USA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- G-Logger: Data acquisition system compatible with SDI's MEMS DC accelerometers, providing up to three channels of differential signal input for real-time performance monitoring and analysis.
Products and services
- Industrial-Grade Surface Mount MEMS DC Accelerometers
Quantifiable outcome
- Lowest noise in class through optimized MEMS sense element geometry
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Silicon design Systems
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Silicon design Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Silicon design Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DigiKeycoreDigiKey serves as an authorized online distributor for SDI accelerometers, enabling small-quantity component procurement through streamlined e-commerce ordering. Products listed under sensors and transducers category.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Silicon design Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- STMicroelectronics: Global MEMS sensor leader offering consumer-, industrial-, and automotive-grade accelerometers. Competes with SDI in industrial and automotive applications, with significantly larger scale and broader product range.
- Analog Devices: Large incumbent semiconductor company with an extensive MEMS accelerometer portfolio serving aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial markets. Directly comparable to SDI in product category but with vastly broader sensor offerings, larger R&D budget, and global manufacturing scale.
- Bosch Sensortec: Global MEMS sensor leader serving consumer, automotive, and industrial markets with accelerometer portfolios. Competes with SDI in automotive and industrial segments with significantly larger scale.
- TDK InvenSense: Major MEMS motion sensor manufacturer with IMU and accelerometer products spanning consumer to industrial grades. Competes with SDI in industrial applications while also serving broader IoT and consumer markets.
- Honeywell Sensing: Aerospace and defense sensor specialist offering ruggedized accelerometers and inertial measurement units. Competes with SDI in mission-critical aerospace and defense applications, with broader portfolio including gyros and IMUs.
- Murata Electronics: Global electronics manufacturer offering MEMS accelerometers for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. Competes with SDI in automotive and industrial segments with broader component portfolio.
Direct peers
- Kionix (ROHM Semiconductor): MEMS accelerometer manufacturer owned by ROHM Semiconductor, offering industrial-grade sensors. Competes with SDI in industrial and consumer applications with comparable variable capacitance technology.
- Dytran Instruments: Specialty manufacturer of piezoelectric and MEMS accelerometers for test and measurement, aerospace, and industrial applications. Comparable to SDI in serving vibration monitoring, crash testing, and structural analysis use cases.
- PCB Piezotronics: Manufacturer of vibration and acceleration sensors for test and measurement, aerospace, and industrial applications. Directly comparable to SDI in serving structural monitoring, vibration analysis, and test/measurement use cases.
- Safran Colibrys: Swiss MEMS accelerometer manufacturer specializing in high-reliability, harsh-environment sensors for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. Closely comparable to SDI in customer base, performance grade, and ruggedization focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Silicon design Systems social profiles
Digital presenceSilicon design Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Silicon design Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silicon design Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Silicon design Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silicon design Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Silicon design Systems
What does Silicon design Systems do?
Silicon Designs Inc. (SDI) designs, manufactures, and sells high-performance MEMS variable capacitance DC accelerometers for industrial, aerospace, defense, automotive, and structural monitoring applications. The portfolio includes surface-mount chips, module-package sensors with integrated amplifiers, inertial-grade tactical sensors, reference-grade modules, G-Logger data acquisition systems, and supporting accessories, all produced in-house at a Kirkland, Washington MEMS cleanroom facility.
Is Silicon design Systems a public or private company?
Silicon design Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Silicon design Systems founded?
Silicon design Systems was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Silicon design Systems based?
Silicon design Systems is headquartered in Kirkland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Silicon design Systems make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. MEMS Accelerometer Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Services.
Who are Silicon design Systems's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are STMicroelectronics, Analog Devices, Bosch Sensortec, TDK InvenSense, Honeywell Sensing and Murata Electronics. Direct peers are Kionix (ROHM Semiconductor), Dytran Instruments, PCB Piezotronics and Safran Colibrys.
Does Silicon design Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silicon design Systems.
What industry is Silicon design Systems in?
Silicon design Systems's product category is MEMS Accelerometers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAAAG, Sensors, MEMS & Imaging ICs, with a secondary code of HDAHALAO, Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3829.